Need You Now
by misty23y
Summary: Stephanie is fed up with the men in her life. While packing for her move to Dallas, Texas, she comes across a bunch of photographs, coming to the realization that she needs someone. Will the person be Ranger or Joe? Quick little songfic inspired by Need You Now by Lady Antebellum. Some language and adult situations.
1. Chapter 1

**Anything familiar belongs to JE. I'm just playing with them. I was listening to the radio and heard "Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum and thought of this story. I'll clue you in which part of the song inspires each section by reference Verse 1, Verse 2, chorus, etc. You may want to look at the lyrics or listen to the song before reading this story. I make no money off of this story.**

 **Stephanie's POV**

This is it. Tonight is my last night in Trenton. Tomorrow, I'm leaving for Dallas, Texas. One of my old roommates from college lives in Dallas. I reconnected with her about a year ago when I bumped into her at our ten-year college reunion. My life has been crazy lately, with two other stalkers who almost caught me, three cars that blew up on me, and the never-ending ridicule from my mom for not being married with children yet.

Joe Morelli, the Trenton detective with whom I've had a years-long on-again/off-again relationship with are permanently DONE after the last argument. It was right after Malcolm Whittier was caught, my last stalker, two months ago. He blamed me for Malcolm's obsession, but truth be told, Malcolm was gay. He wasn't interested in ME, he was interested in JOE. He wanted me out of the way so that he could have Joe. But, still, it was my fault that he captured me because I live in a crappy apartment that anyone could break into. However, he grabbed me from Joe's house, not my crappy apartment, while Joe was home and in the shower. But still, it was my fault. I had enough of him. Malcolm had me tied and bound in the trunk of his car overnight before Ranger found me. Joe didn't even realize I was missing for two hours. After he finished his shower he went straight to bed thinking I was cleaning up from dinner. He didn't realize I was gone until Lester showed up looking for me. Bastard. Well, let's just say, _his boys_ won't see me ever again.

Two days later, while recovering at Rangeman in Ranger's penthouse apartment, I heard him talking to Bobby and Tank about me.

 _ **Flashback**_

" _Bobby, I don't know what to do with her! She doesn't fucking listen. How many times do I need to tell her she needs to let us train her? How many times do I tell her to be more aware of her surroundings? I get it, she should have been safe with that fucking cop but she wasn't safe. I don't know if I could do this anymore." Ranger said._

" _Rangeman, did you tell her yet?" asks Tank._

" _No. I can't bring her into my life if she's not willing to change. I can't afford to keep bailing her out."_

 _I was standing outside his office door. I woke up and he didn't know I was there. Talk about being aware of your surroundings. That was all I needed to hear, though. I quickly went back to the bedroom and changed. I grabbed my purse and disposed of all the trackers I could find. I took the keys to my POS car off of the key fob that Ranger gave me years ago. I went to the kitchen and grabbed Rex and his cage. I left the apartment, took the elevator down to the garage, and left. He called me ten minutes later._

" _Babe, where are you and where is Rex?"_

" _I'm going home to my apartment. I don't want you to lose any more money because of me. I won't ask for your help anymore. I can't and will not change to please you. If you can't love me for who I am, then I don't need you in my life. Please don't call me, don't watch my apartment, and don't ever talk to me again."_

 _I hung up on Ranger and threw my phone out of the car where it was promptly crushed by a box truck. Mission accomplished._

So, here I am, packing up the last of my apartment. I look around at what's left. All that's left are pictures. I start to sort through them. I see pictures of me growing up, of myself with Grandma and Grandpa Mazur. I see MaryLou and me at our senior prom. There are pictures from college and beyond. I look at the pictures of my "relationship" with Joe and notice that we look miserable in most of them. Now, I look at the pictures of Ranger and me.

 **[Verse 1, female singing]**

We look so happy in every picture, in he candids and the posed pictures. How did I not see his love in his eyes? I look for my cell phone. I find it underneath a pile of pictures on the floor. I look at the time. It's 1:15 in the morning, or night if you ask me. I want to call him. I want to hear his voice, but I doubt he ever thinks of me. I mean, I'm a drain on his resources. I cost him too much money.

 **[chorus]**

I want to call Ranger to tell him I love him and I need him in my life. I need to feel him inside me one more time, to feel his arms around me, to remember how perfect he is in every way. I press one and hit call.

 **Ranger's POV**

The last 58 days have been torture without my Babe. Since she walked out of my apartment I've been out of my mind. I am snapping at everyone, my men are avoiding me like the plague. I've tried to talk to her twice, both times she completely ignored me. Now, she's leaving me behind. She's going to Dallas. Who did she confide in? Not me, but Lester! Lester will be driving her Dallas. I'm glad that she's not going on her own, but the fact that she won't talk to me before she leaves, fuck me.

 **[Verse 2, male singing]**

I'm sitting in my living room with the dim ambient light from the street as the only illumination. I'm on my second bottle of whiskey. I'm getting drunk, which is not something that I'm accustomed to feeling. I keep hoping that my Babe will appear at my door, walk into my apartment, to make love to me all night, to let me show her how much I love her. I know that she doesn't ever think about me, but I can't stop thinking about her. I need her now. I see my phone on the coffee table, but I don't know if I should call her. It's 0115. She's probably sleeping. Dios, just thinking about her in my bed, with her curls around her head like a halo, wearing my t-shirt and panties only, I feel myself getting hard. I can't control myself or my emotions. Babe, please come home to me.

 **Both Ranger and Stephanie's POV (Ranger is bold,** _Steph is italicized_ **)**

 **[Third Chorus, duet]**

 _I decide to go drive to Rangeman instead of calling. I need to see Ranger one more time. I need to feel his arms around me, to take his strength. God, I need one more night of magic, only this time, I'll be the one to leave in the morning._

 **I hear the house phone ring. I pick it up. It's Bobby. He's on the monitor's tonight, doing Zero's shift after he got a concussion earlier today. "Bomber's at the gate. Should I let her in?"**

" **Yes. Give her access to wherever she wants to go." I respond to Bobby. Dios, I hope she's coming here to see me and not to meet Lester. I take the empty bottle and dispose of it while placing the open bottle back in the cabinet.**

 _I get out of my car and walk to the elevator. The doors open. I give a finger wave to the camera and the guys on the monitor. I hold up seven fingers, hoping they send me to the penthouse. The elevator starts to rise. I'm starting to second guess myself. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. I look down at myself. I'm wearing one of Ranger's shirts, yoga pants, and flip-flops. I just realized that I have no bra on or panties. I'm commando. Fuck!_

 **I'm trying to decide if I should have my door open when the elevator arrives or let her knock. Fuck. I don't even know if she's coming for me. I look down. I'm only wearing sweatpants. Should I get a shirt? And I'm commando.**

 _The elevator doors open on seven. I exit. I look at the door. Should I knock? Well, it's now or never. I take a deep breath, lift my hand, and knock on his door._

 **I hear her knock on the door. It's now or never. Dios, soldier, open the fucking door. I open the door.**

" _Ranger" I look at him. He's not wearing a shirt. His beautiful, muscular torso is on display. His sweatpants are riding low on his waist. God, if I were wearing panties they'd be ruined._

" **Babe" I look at my beautiful Babe. Her hair is in a haphazard ponytail. She's wearing my t-shirt, super tight yoga pants, and flip-flops. Dios, I feel myself getting hard. The things she does to me.**

" **Ranger, can I come it?" she asks me. She looks so unsure and scared, apprehensive, but she also looks like she needs me now.**

" _Of course," Ranger replies. He has his blank face on, but I can see the worry and stress in his eyes. He looks like he needs me now. God knows I need him now._

 _I enter the apartment and Ranger wraps his arms around me. He whispers in my ear, "Babe, I need you in my arms, in my bed, while I am inside you. Please Babe, I just need you now."_

 **I have my arms around my Babe, and I tell her how I feel. I'm waiting for her response. "Ranger, I need you now, too. I love you. I've loved you forever."**

 **She says the three magic words. She loves me! "Babe, I love you, too. I've loved you since I first saw you." With that, I kiss her soft, tender, beautiful lips. I push my tongue against her lips and she lets me enter her mouth. Out tongues tango while my hand reaches under her shirt. Dios! She's not wearing a bra. I let my thumbs run over her nipples. "Babe, I need you now."**

" _Then what are you waiting for, Carlos?"_


	2. Chapter 2

**Epilogue**

 **48 hours later**

 **Ranger's POV**

The last two days with my Babe were magical. She was supposed to be on her way to Dallas now, but instead, she's lying next to me in my bed. We've made love too many times to remember in these last two days, only pausing to eat, answer nature's call, and sleep. I can't get enough of my beautiful Babe. Dios, I was so stupid for so many years. The biggest surprise is that I still need Stephanie now as much as I needed her 48 hours ago. I love my Babe. Tonight is the night. Tonight I will take my Babe out to eat and I'll ask her to be mine. Tonight, I'm going to ask Stephanie to be my wife.

 **Stephanie's POV**

Ugh, I'm so sore. I ache in places where I didn't even know there were muscles. Ranger and I have made love so many times. Half of the things we did, half of the positions he put me in I didn't think were physically possible. Where did he learn how to make love like that? God, and to think I would be more than halfway to Dallas right now if I didn't come here. I guess this is our someday. If only someday came with a ring AND a condom.

 **5 years later**

 **Stephanie's POV**

Ranger and I have been married for four and a half years, full of bliss, love, and desire. I have turned into a Burg wife and mom, believe it or not. It seems that I don't mind being Burg with the right man. We have three sons, an almost four-year-old named Carlos Stephen, a two and a half-year-old named Michael Lester Manoso, and a fifteen-month-old named Francisco Ricardo. We are expecting a little girl two weeks from now. We've tried several different types of birth control, but obviously, they didn't work. So, if I have a c-section with this little girl, I'm tying my tubes. If not, Carlos will be getting nipped in three weeks. As much as I love my husband and children, we don't want more than four. We've moved into a house in Princeton, have a summer home in Point Pleasant and Miami, and still use the penthouse. But the best thing about life, is that we still need each other today as much as we did that night when we came together at last.

The End

 **Hope you enjoy this little one shot. This little inspiration just came to me when listening to the radio and Stephanie and Ranger pushed me to write this. Please review! That's how I get paid. Written in honor of the NYS ELA Exams starting tomorrow in grades 3-8.**


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